Bootleg Friday: David Bowie, 1974

Today’s episode of Bootleg Friday is a very great and interesting David Bowie show from the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles from September 5, 1974. It’s from the Diamond Dogs tour and what you hear is a Bowie in transition from the glam of the Ziggy Stardust era to the soul and funk explorations of that would result in the release of Young Americans the following year. (And you can hear his fascination with soul in the cover of Eddie Floyd’s “Knock On Wood,” which isn’t anything particularly good, but I’m including it for historical purposes.) His band for this tour is a pretty amazing one, consisting of studio vets like Earl Slick, Carlos Alomar, Michael Kamen, David Sanborn as well as Luther Vandross on backing vocals. Toni Basil (of “Mickey” fame) handled the elaborate stage show and choreography.

I’m a Bowie fan, but I’ve never worshipped at his altar. There are albums of his that I love (Ziggy, Station To Station, about half of Hunky Dory), but to me, he’s always been a fascinating fraud – an artist who has neither a ton of emotional depth or soul, yet one who’s done an incredible job of taking on different styles and personas to create something utterly modern and glossy in the most appealing (and sexy) of ways, which I believe is why his appeal endures so strongly. But he did write "All The Young Dudes," and for that alone, he's a legend in my book.

Download: “1984” 9/5/74, Los Angeles, CA
Download: “Rebel Rebel” 9/5/74, Los Angeles, CA
Download: “Moonage Daydream” 9/5/74, Los Angeles, CA
Download: “Suffragette City” 9/5/74, Los Angeles, CA
Download: “All The Young Dudes” 9/5/74, Los Angeles, CA
Download: “Rock N’ Roll With Me” 9/5/74, Los Angeles, CA
Download: “Knock On Wood” 9/5/74, Los Angeles, CA
Download: “The Jean Genie” 9/5/74, Los Angeles, CA
Download: “Rock N’ Roll Suicide” 9/5/74, Los Angeles, CA